Reshuffle Flop: Opposition Parties Snub Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s Committee Changes
- Political parties strongly rejected the Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza’s committee reshuffle
- This was after a statement from the City of Ekurhuleni circulated in which Xhakaza had appointed ActionSA councillor Xolani Khumalo as an MMC
- The Economic Freedom Fighters slammed the reshuffling, and ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont clarified the party’s position
With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial, and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties, and Parliament.
Source: Getty Images
GAUTENG — The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza's decision to reshuffle his committee on 18 February 2026. This included appointing ActionSA councillor Xolani Khumalo as an MMC, a position ActionSA rejected.
The Red Berets slammed the reshuffle on its @EFFSouthAfrica X account on 18 February. The EFF slammed Xhakaza and accused him of unilaterally removing Bridget Thusi as the MMC for Community Services and Kgopello Hollo as the MMC for Human Settlement.
EFF criticises Xhakaza for EFF MMCs’ removal
The Red Berets questioned the motive behind Xhakaza’s decision to appoint MMCs unilaterally.
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“The removal of these two EFF MMCs follows the removal of EFF Councillor Nkululeko Dunga as the MMC for Finance in 2024, a decision which has seen a decline in the City’s finances and growing debts. Most recently, the ANC (African National Congress), at the behest of Xhakaza, refused to fill the vacancy of the Speaker of the City Council with an EFF councillor, as had been agreed upon in previous negotiations, as the position had been held by the EFF,” the statement pointed out.
The party also called Xhakaza out for placing Thembi Msane as the MMC for Infrastructure and Economic Development, removing her responsibilities of Water and Sanitation. Xhakaza also appointed Leshaka Manamela as the MMC for Human Settlements.
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“The EFF informs the people of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, and South Africa, that we have declined the offer to form part of the Mayoral Committee in the City of Ekurhuleni, and will humbly and gracefully accept our role in the opposition benches,” the EFF remarked.
Read the full statement on X here:
The ActionSA national chairperson, Michael Beaumont, spoke to SABC News journalist Clement Manyathela and told him that the only position the party was interested in was the mayoral position. Beaumont said the party communicated this to the mayor on the evening of 17 February, and Xhakaza allegedly said that ActionSA will withdraw after he made the announcement. This was after Xhakaza offered Xolani Khumalo, who was announced as ActionSA’s mayoral candidate, the By-Laws Enforcement portfolio.
Read Manyathela's tweet on X here:
South Africans weigh in
Social media users, especially EFF supporters, saluted the party for its decision.
MiSTERY said:
“The EFF declining the Mayoral Committee is the final admission that the current system is unfixable from the inside. They’d rather be the opposition than be puppets for an ANC administration that protects criminal officers and blows the budget.”
Kagiso made an observation:
“The ANC is very desperate in Ekurhuleni. They removed Dunga for outshining them as Finance MMC. Now they’ve moved Thembi Msane from Water and Sanitation because she was performing. The EFF has rejected these new positions. We refuse to be pawns.”
General Mission applauded the party.
“As a resident of Ekurhuleni and an EFF voter, I agree with your decision, and we thank the EFF MMCs for serving us well and being of service throughout.”
AntiNobody disagreed.
“You didn’t decline anything. You were removed. Until last night, you were part of this coalition. Even though your leader has long threatened to pull out of all Gauteng deals with the ANC, you are still in coalition with them in Joburg and Tshwane; hypocrites.”
Lesego remarked:
“Too little, too late. You should have done this early last year, especially in Tshwane, where poor service is the order of the day. You would have been in a good position now, but you don’t understand street politics and PR importance.”
Julius Malema brands ANC as a crime syndicate
In a related article, Briefly News reported that the EFF’s president, Julius Malema, called the ANC the biggest crime syndicate in the country. He also criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate on 17 February 2026.
Malema said that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to fight crime is proof that Ramaphosa’s administration failed to fight crime. He said that Ramaphosa deployed the SANDF as a last resort.
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Source: Briefly News
